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April 10, 2015April 10, 2015

PREVIEW: Young Kato @ The Rainbow, 13th Apr ‘15

On Monday 13^th April, Young Kato perform at The Rainbow in Digbeth – with support from Peasant’s King, Only Shadows, The Young.

Presented by Birmingham Promoters, doors open at 7pm with tickets priced at £8 (advance). For more gig info & tickets click here.

Forming in 2011, the Cheltenham born six piece (with the exception of one Brummie, Joe lever, on bass) released their debut and self titled Young Kato EP in August 2012 – through the Manchester based LAB Records. Upfront, Indie, Pop; the young Young Kato went on to support bands such as Peace, Swim Deep, Bastile and You Me at Six, building a solid grass roots fan base from a busy gig schedule.

After their signature track, ‘Drink, Dance, Play’, got picked up by the producers of Made in Chelsea and featured during series 4 of the show, Young Kato’s momentum reached the national radio stations and wider broadcasters. Young Kato were invited to appear on Made in Chelsea during series five, with their subsequent 2013 tour, in support of their single ‘Something Real, piquing further national broadcast interest.

Then in late 2013, the band began working with producer Dan Grech (Hurts, Tom Odell, Keane) to remix ‘Drink, Dance, Play’ and steer their subsequent Sunshine EP along a more mid 90’s Balearic House route. The new Young Kato sound was well received, enjoying airplay and support from Radio 1 and XFM and settling at No58 in the Alternative UK Airplay Chart.

Another national tour, the band’s ‘biggest tour to date’, took the six piece back across the UK to promote the re-released ‘Drink, Dance, Play’ – whilst Dan Grech was sequestered to work on Young Kato’s debut album, Don’t Wait ‘til Tomorrow.

Young Kato come to The Rainbow in Digbeth, Birmingham as part of their UK tour promoting Don’t Wait ‘til Tomorrow, which is set for release on May 3^rd. To watch the official video for ‘Sunshine’, the title track for Young Kato’s latest EP, click here or on the image/link below:

‘Sunshine’ – Young Kato

Young Kato perform at The Rainbow in Digbeth on Monday 13^th April, with support from Peasant’s King, Only Shadows, The Young. For more gig info & tickets, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/Events/young-kato-2/

For more form Young Kato, visit http://www.youngkato.com/

For more from The Rainbow Venues, visit http://www.therainbowvenues.co.uk/

For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/

April 8, 2015April 8, 2015

BPREVIEW: Hot Club De Swing @ Hare & Hounds, 11th Apr ‘15

Pics courtesy of Electric Swing Circus, Katie Foulkes / KFD Photography & Carlie Ann-Hare

On Saturday 11^th April, Hot Club De Swing returns to the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath for their Swingamajig Warm Up Show.

Doors open from 9pm, with tickets priced at £5 (early bird) and £7 (standard) + booking fee. For further gig info & tickets click here.

Hot Club De Swing is the side project and playground of Electric Swing Circus (ESC) – the beaus and belles who have underpinned the Electric Swing scene in Birmingham since… well, since they started it here.

Unashamedly ‘show’, ESC have been promulgating their heady mix of 1920’s swing and electronica though fervent live performances and Hot Club nights – carving out a significant chunk of popular pie through venues and festival across Europe.

One of the more imaginative, and committed, bands to come out of Birmingham – ESC turned their attentions to their own festival, Swingamajig, in 2013. Organised with Ragtime Records, the Swingamajig Festival debut was a quick sell out, with each subsequent year nudging the boundaries of what this one day extravaganza would deliver. Now with four arenas/stages to play in, Swingamjig 2015 comes to Birmingham on Sunday 3^rd May; venue TBA.

But not before a chance to dust of your flapper headband an practice your Lindy Hop in more intimate setting – as Hot Club De Swing comes back to the Hare & Hounds for the official Swingamajig 2015 warm up.

Playing at Hot Club De Swing on 11^th April will be a selection of acts also booked on the Swingamajig bill, including the ‘unprotected Sax, smooth clarinet and jazz piano’ of Midnight Magpie and a DJ set from Ragtime Records founder, C@ in the H@.

Headlining Hot Club De Swing will be The Rin Tins, whose ‘Folk filled Jazz Jive Boogie’ was de rigueur at last year’s Shambala Festival. And if we can’t trust 10,000 Moseleyites and Bristolians getting mashed in field, then what hope do we have. Braces & boas ’til dawn.

But for some more direct evidence of this ‘ere thing they call Swing (in an Electric Circus type way), check out the official video for Swingamajig 2014 – it’s like Hot Club, only bigger, sassier, and with possibly more feathers.

Swingamajig Festival 2014

To read previous Hot Club De Swings getting a Birmingham Review, click here for the Festival Tea Party in June 2013, click here for the Xmas Spectacular in Dec 2013, and click here for our last visit to Hot Club in Mar 2014

Hot Club De Swing returns to the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) for its Swingamajig Warm Up Show on Saturday 11^th April. For further gig details & tickets, visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/event-listings/event/?eventID=10035431

For more on Hot Club De Swing, visit https://www.facebook.com/hotclubdeswing

For more from The Rin Tins, visit http://www.therintins.com/

For more from Midnight Magpie, https://soundcloud.com/midnightmagpie

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For more on Swingamajig, visit http://swingamajig.co.uk/

For more from Electric Swing Circus, visit http://electricswingcircus.com/

For more from Ragtime Records, visit http://ragtime-records.com/

For more from the Hare & Hounds, visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk/

April 7, 2015November 18, 2015

REVIEW/TOUR DIARY: Everybody Looks Famous @ The Rainbow, 5th Apr ‘15

Words & pics by Edward Taylor / Digital Flow

As we turn up to The Rainbow, for another gig put on by European Tour Collective, we are welcomed by an onslaught of excited hipsters walking past the venue. At first we think this is going to be one of those random sell out shows.

But whilst the band load out their gear we see we are wrong – as the never ending stream of people enter the 48 hour rave just next door, with one of the crowd already needing paramedics by 7pm in the afternoon.

Yet that is not the end to the drama, as we are shortly met with the news that the second band are a performer down; the guitarist from Guilt City had fallen off the Birmingham Bull, seriously hurting his arm only hours before. But still the drama continues.

With this being the second night of a six night tour, and Everybody Looks Famous‘s team feeling less than fresh from the night before in Cheltenham, we battle on through the sound check and eventually the gig begins.

The first act tonight is the four piece Damson in Distress. Fair play to these guys as their lead singer had been hit with food poisoning the night before which forced them to completely change their set and turn them into a three piece.

One outcome of this is a cover of The Cure’s ‘Boys don’t Cry’ in Reggae style, which they comment their lead singer would have hated if she was not bed bound.

The second band on (and like I said, a man down) are Guilt City. Their fun/classic rock style,
although very different from the other bands on the bill, gets everyone in the crowd who has long hair off their bums and whipping it back ‘n’ forth.

Although you can quite easily say these guys would do better as a cover band, the fact they are able to find their own voice gives them that fun edge. Even without their main guitarist, the vocals and fast drums are more than enough to keep people’s attention – although not as strong as their first gig, the night before. Memorable though, Guilt City from Newcastle are ones to look out for in the future.

Next is the four piece band Elessar, and although tonight is their second ever gig it doesn’t show. Comparable to acts like Lower than Atlantis and Fightstar, Elessar are an appealing new band – making their statements on stage and solidifying their place on the bill.

During their set the lead guitarist has a few technical problems, yet battles through without affecting the performance too much. With strong song writing and a host of fresh material, Elessar remind us they have a new music video out in June called ‘Animals’.

Second to last is The Wilde, living the band dream; these lads have so much energy on stage it is hard to see whether they are coming and going.

Completely entertaining and definitely worth seeing live. Again with a music video coming out, for their second single called ‘Bad Bones’ – taken from their double Young Libertine EP, set for release on 7^th April. The Wilde also have a gig with The Xcerts booked on the 13^th April in York.

Finally is the headline act, Everybody Looks Famous. And as the top of the bill they did not disappoint, with lots of energy and great fun coming off stage. Their sound is great, even fighting though a small problem with the guitarist’s amp at the start of the set.

With only four dates on this tour Everybody Looks Famous are really giving it their all, helped by touring friends White clouds and Gunfire turning up at the end to supply JD & Coke to the band on stage.

All this is documented by a crew of handsome media running around collecting footage for an upcoming live documentary on Everybody Looks Famous featuring their song, ‘Kaleidoscope’, being filmed by George Wood (aka King for a day Media).

All in all a superb gig at The Rainbow. And with four more dates on the tour calendar, the next all the way up in Edinburgh, there is a lot more to look forward to.

Check out the Everybody Looks Famous Facebook Page for more behind the scenes shots and footage – click here.

For more from Everybody Looks Famous, visit https://www.facebook.com/everybodylooksfamous

For more from The Rainbow Venues, visit http://www.therainbowvenues.co.uk/

For more from Edward Taylor / Digital Flow, visit http://www.digital-flow.co.uk/

April 7, 2015August 7, 2015

BPREVIEW: Ekkah @ The Sunflower Lounge, 11th Apr ‘15

On Saturday 11^th April, Ekkah return to The Sunflower Lounge in Birmingham for another headline show – supported by Chartreuse.

Doors open at 7:30pm, with tickets at £5, as presented by Birmingham Promoters. For further gig info & tickets click here.

Ekkah, aka Rebecca Wilson (vocals, guitar) and Rebekah Pennington (keyboard/saxophone), formed in 2103 – after splitting from their original band, the five piece Indie Rockers The Arcadian Kicks.

Although now producing material more reminiscent of American lounge House, from US imprints such as Naked and Wave, Ekkah’s move to a mellower dance floor/club sound was not so premeditatied, as Wilson told Alice Vincent from The Telegraph: “We never sat down and decided what sound we wanted,” Wilson explains, “it just came out as a bit of a mishmash. A bit of a good accident.”

Ekkah’s debut Last Chance to Dance EP was released last November, with the title track produced by Adam Jaffrey – the man behind Unwound Recordings, who has worked with acts from Bloc Party to Lady Leshur.

Confidently low fi and encouragingly summer, Ekkah’s Last Chance to Dance EP also contains three self produced tracks – ‘Ex-change’, ‘Only U 4 Me’ and ‘Holiday Blues’, recorded by the duo in their Birmingham studio.

Since becoming a duo, Ekkah have been steadily performing across the country – playing another headline date at The Sunflower Lounge on Saturday 11^th April, before heading up the M6 to play a free show at Manchester’s Fallow Café on the 16^th.

Ekkah are also booked to play several UK festivals this summer, including Bestival and The Great Escape.

To watch the official video to Ekkah’s ‘Last Chance to Dance’, click here or on the image below:

Ekkah return to The Sunflower Lounge on Saturday 11^th April – with support from Chartreuse. For further gig details and tickets, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/Events/ekkah-2/

For more from Ekkah, visit https://soundcloud.com/ekkah

For more from Chartreuse, visit https://soundcloud.com/chartreuse-uk

For more from The Sunflower Lounge, visit http://www.thesunflowerlounge.com/

For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit http://birminghampromoters.com/

April 6, 2015April 6, 2015

PREVIEW: Midnight Bonfires + Byron Hare @ One Trick Pony Club (Moseley), 9th April ‘15

On Thursday 9^th April, Midnight Bonfires & Byron Hare play the One Trick Pony Club in Moseley Village.

Entry is free, with venue doors open all day – music scheduled from 9pm to 11pm. For further venue & gig info, click here.

Taking over the ‘Old O’Neil’s’ pub in Moseley Village, One Trick Pony Club has been putting in place an ents calendar to rival/mirror/compliment the endevours of its neighbours.

Part of the bill is a bi-weekly Thursday night live gig promotion from Killer Wave – bringing B13 another ‘good chunk of mid week rock n roll’ at the revamped High Street venue.

Generously allowing everyone in for free (…crazy bast*rds) recent gigs have showcased Catbone, The Watchmakers, I Am Anushka, Fruit Tones & Spit Shake Sisters – alongside a veritably strong cast in support.

This week it’s the addictive & distinct Midnight Bonfires (think Devendra Banhart meets The Sonics), joined by ‘one of the newest, most exciting bands to come out of Redditch for nearly a decade’ – Byron Hare.

And for a bit more garrulous preamble, see below:

Midnight Bonfires
A stalwart in the city’s music scene, Midnight Bonfires have been steadily navigating the greasy pole since first releasing their debut single, ‘Misbehave’, in Oct 2011. Self described as ‘a band fusing folk sensitivity with rock and roll energy’, Midnight Bonfires are one of those rarities that manage to spruce up each genre they get attributed to, whilst remaining genuinely identifiable. A part of Birmingham to be prouder of?

Their list of accolades and achievements include several notable supports (Johnny Marr perhaps the most bucket list) festival dates and media attention, which all kind of asks the question why we can still see them for free on a Thursday night in Moseley. Not that my pocket is complaining. Make hay audiences, make hay.

Listen to Oxygen EP by Midnight Bonfires – click here or on the artwork (left)

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Byron Hare
Championed by the Reddich based Death or Glory Records, Byron Hare are a ‘Post Pop’ six piece – fronted by vocalist Jodie Ollis.

Covering some significant ground since their first live gig in May 2014, Byron Hare’s debut Sleep on the Fire EP came out on Death or Glory Records in December the same (last) year; six tracks long and with smatterings of a less psychedelic Jefferson Airplane.

Being picked up by more promoters and media around the UK, Byron Hare have a fruitful summer ahead of them – including a slot on the exquisite looking Lunar Festival bill. But for a saving of between £39-89 you can see them at One Trick Pony Club first.

Listen to/watch ‘Something Surreal’ by Byron Hare, from their Sleep on the Fire EP – click here or on the band picture (above right)

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Midnight Bonfires & Byron Hare play the One Trick Pony Club (Moseley) on Thursday 9^th April – free entry all night. For more info visit https://www.facebook.com/events/946066428761197/

For more on Midnight Bonfires, visit http://midnightbonfires.com/

For more on Byron Hare, visit http://byronhare.co.uk/

For more on One Trick Pony Club, visit http://www.onetrickponyclub.co.uk/